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http://www.ibnlive.com/article.php?id=5812&section_id=5

Ex-cricketers get hikes in pension 

Roma Khanna
CNN-IBN


New Delhi: The richest cricket board in the world, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has decided to share some of its wealth with former cricketers.

The BCCI working committee, which meets this week, has decided to hike up the pension of all Test cricketers who retired before 1975 to Rs 25,000 per month.

The announcement made by BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan has been welcomed by families of former cricketing stars.

Sheetal Solkar, wife of former India Test cricketer Eknath Solkar, who passed away in 2005 is one of them.

Eknath, known for his brilliant close fielding, especially at short leg, played 27 Tests between 1969 and 1976-77.

While today's cricketers have various avenues to make good money through endorsements, most of the Indian cricketers who played from the 50s to 70s never played ODIs - cricket's golden goose. And they played mostly for pride.

Now, these forgotten warriors of Indian cricket are finally being recognised for their contribution to the game.

"It is a very nice decision, I like it. But I would be more happy if he was alive and he has been a lot, still they have got it, I am very happy for it," says Sheetal.

The BCCI had announced the pension scheme for former cricketers as part of its platinum jubilee celebrations in 2004.

The initial amount was Rs 5,000 per month to all Test cricketers but in January the pension was increased to Rs 10,000 for those cricketers who retired before 1975.

But after former skippers Polly Umrigar and Ajit Wadekar's appeal, the BCCI working committee hiked up the amount to Rs 25,000 per month and extended the scheme to the wives of players who were dead.

"There are players who would need money when they grow old when the kids are away and because they were born early, they didn’t have enough saving," says Ajit Wadekar, former Indian captain.

As Sunil Gavaskar remarked two years back, more than the amount it is the gesture that is important. The BCCI's cash coffers are overflowing at the moment and repaying a debt to this country's rich cricketing past is a step forward.

The BCCI has also announced substantial hike in the payment for the umpires.

For ODIs the field umpires will get Rs 70,000, third umpire will receive Rs 35,000 while fourth umpire will be entitled for Rs 15,000 per month.

The fee for on the field Test umpires will be Rs 70,000 each (per Test) and Rs 25,000 for the third umpire.

In the domestic tournaments, umpires will be paid Rs 5,000 per day.